The morning sun hit the sprawling stone buildings of the campus, burning off the late summer mist and lighting up a sea of nervous energy. It was Orientation Day, and the quad was completely overrun. Freshers shuffled around in oversized university hoodies, clutching printed campus maps, tripping over their own feet, and darting glances at every passing upperclassman. The air hummed with cheap coffee, loudspeaker static, and the frantic chatter of hundreds of people trying to figure out where they belonged.
Lila stood near the back of the main stage area, holding two iced coffees. She took a sip of hers, her eyes scanning the crowd with a calm, quiet amusement. Just a short time ago, she would have felt completely overwhelmed by this kind of chaos. Now, watching the sea of fresh faces des
